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Louisiana Family Forum and Forum for Equality weigh in on DOMA

Following this morning's Supreme Court rulings on the Defense of Marriage Act and California's Proposition 8, conservative advocacy group Louisiana Family Forum is both "pleased" with and disturbed and perplexed by the court's decisions.

“The key message for Louisiana from the U.S. Supreme Court today is this: Your right to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman is preserved,” said president Gene Mills in a statement. “It is important to note that the Court did not find a Constitutional right to same-sex marriage."

LFF "is pleased" that the court "refused to completely undermine traditional marriage throughout all 50 states, including Louisiana," adding, "However, it is disturbing and perplexing that the court has ruled that the federal government has no right to affirm natural marriage."

"Marriage remains a religious and civil institution stewarded by the people," the statement continued. "LFF, since inception, has provided a voice for traditional marriage. LFF represents those who embrace the orthodox view that marriage and the family are instituted by God and affirmed by the sacred Scripture as the union of one man and one woman. As a civil institution, societies for centuries have recognized that the union of a man and a woman are the optimal environment for the care and nurture of children. It is upon this bedrock that all other societal institutions exist."

The LFF statement also expressed concern that the Supreme Court decisions "may place in jeopardy the right of people to practice their faith publicly in the expression of marriage as being between one man and one woman."

(A 2004 state constitutional amendment passed overwhelmingly by voters — 74 percent — defines marriage as between one man and one woman.)

The Forum for Equality also released a statement following the rulings stressing that marriage and same-sex discrimination continues in Louisiana.

“Discrimination was written into the Louisiana constitution in 2004,“ said Forum for Equality Foundation incoming chair John Denison.

“Forum For Equality is encouraged by polls that show growing support for marriage equality among Louisiana voters,” said Forum for Equality chair John Hill. "Despite a governor and legislature that continually vote to discriminate against the LGBT community, we are encouraged by poll data that show a majority of Louisianans support either same-sex marriage or civil unions. Our leaders just need to represent the views of our state and be on the right side of history."